A Cafeteria Conversation
by SG1Dreamer
Summary: Jack returns to the SGC from Washington and has an interesting conversation with Sam.


**A Cafeteria Conversation**

A voice came from the door of Sam's lab. "So, still having fun, are we?" Sam looked up, from her microscope, tweezers in hand. A look of surprise struck her face as she realized who had spoken to her.

"Jack! When did you get here?"

"About an hour ago. Had to drop off a key to Landry. Seems he couldn't find one for the desk. Go figure."

Sam had already gotten up from her chair and reached Jack, wrapping her arms around him in a big hug. Jack gingerly put his arms around Sam's waist to hug her back. She felt so good to him, and he had really missed her so much.

Sam backed away, her arms stretched out with her hands on Jack's shoulders. "Don't tell me that was the only reason you came all the way from Washington?" she asked curiously.

"Well, that and to eat pie. I miss the pie… in the cafeteria."

"I see," Sam said smiling. "Have you seen Daniel and Teal'C yet?"

"No, not yet. I thought maybe you and I might have lunch first. That is, if I'm not interrupting your _'fun_,'" he said, holding his fingers up in quote signs.

"Sure, we can grab something in the cafeteria. You can have your pie."

"Oh, yea! Chocolate pie, Here I come!"

"You gonna eat that?" Jack asked Sam, eyeing her garlic toast.

"No, garlic really does something to my insides. Be my guest."

"So, how are things going?" Jack asked before taking a huge bite of the toast.

"Well," Sam began excitedly, "We found this new organism on P3X-4285 that has properties with the potential to mutate into organic things under certain conditions. I believe that if I can isolate the peptides and remove some of the isotopes, and then introduce specific foreign man-made bacteria in a controlled environment…"

"Wait! Stop right there!" Jack was waving his hands back and forth. "I didn't necessarily want to talk shop."

"Oh, sorry." D… Did you mean, personally?"

"Well, I don't mean _personal, _personal… just… not work. You know!" Jack said in a slightly embarrassed tone.

"I understand. Well, I just finished overhauling my hog."

"Great. Bet it runs better now."

"Yea, it does." Sam was beginning to feel just a little uncomfortable. "Uh, well… you know, it's your turn. What have you been up to?"

All these years they had known each other, and Sam could not think of a thing to talk about with Jack. She was so thrilled just to be with him, but now, things just seemed different. He had been gone so long. Did he have another relationship since she had seen him last? Did he feel the same about her as she felt about him? Were they allowed to see each other now since he was not her commanding officer anymore? So many questions, but nothing to talk about.

"Just running the show! You know how it is. Paperwork over here, meetings over there. A Homeworld Security Guy's work is never done.", Jack said, smiling.

"You cheated! You said no shop talk!"

"What's there to tell? I'm up there without a Stargate. Certainly nothing going on to write home about."

"Do you go out? Are _you_ having fun?"

"There's a good steak house not far from my place I like to eat at. Not very good pie though. What about you? Been pulling over any more cops?"

"Jack!"

"What?"

"I'm sure that's not any of your business."

"Too personal?"

"Well." Sam drew out the word

"Oh, so there is another man in blue in your life."

"No, not right now." Sam spoke in a defensive tone.

"OK, OK We're just talking here. Friends. Right?"

"Uh, yea Right." Sam would have loved to have said, _"I would really like us to be more than just friends. Why don't we go out?"_ .

Jack spoke his next words in hesitation, as if he were unsure of what he wanted to say. "Well, you _should_… consider… seeing… someone."

Jack was really thinking, "_I sure would like to take her out, but I'm not so sure that's a good idea. I really would hate for her to get hooked up with someone else, though. I wonder if she would… get hooked up with someone else… or go out with me for that matter?"_

Sam eyed Jack suspiciously. "And why is that?"

"Hmm?" Jack had to bring his mind back to his original question. "Oh, well, Sam, you can't keep moping around the base all the time thinking evaluating bacteria is fun! You're losing all perspective on life! Get out and live a little!", Jack said denying his own feelings.

"And I guess, you know how to do that. You just go down to the local steak house and have a beer. Knowing you, I'll bet you don't even hang out with anyone."

"As a matter of fact, I do… hang out… with… some… one.", Jack said dragging out his sentence again.

"Oh, yea? You do?", Sam said with a sideways grin.

"Yea. And we spend quite a bit of time together, too."

"Oh, really. Is he with the Stargate program?"

"No."

"Is he your neighbor?"

"No. And who said anything about _him_ being a _he_?"

Sam had to swallow her shock and hide her surprise really fast. "Oh, I just assumed…", was all she could say.

"In fact, we've been together almost since I moved to Washington."

"Is that right?"

Sam was stunned. "Who is she?"

"Well, her name is Molly."

"Molly?", Sam repeated in a slightly disbelieving tone.

"She's kinda short with brown hair. I got to know her while having lunch at a sidewalk cafe one day. She was all alone, so I shared my lunch with her. Then we became really good friends."

"Oh, Jack, that was really nice of you." Sam was beginning to feel a little better, and somewhat guilty for having questioned Jacks sincerity.

"She's been living with me ever since."

Sam could not hide the shock on her face. "Living with you?"

"Well, she's been really good company. It's nice to have a warm body to snuggle up with at night when you're in a new home."

Sam could not believe her ears. Her mouth fell open and she was going limp with every word.

"But, I'm going to have to get rid of her when I get back."

Sam looked puzzled. "What? Get _rid_ of her?"

"Yea, I can handle her drinking out of the toilet, but I just can't seem to get her house broken."

Somehow, Jack's chocolate pie became plastered all over his face. He wasn't sure how that happened, but he knew it had been on his plate the last time he checked and Sam had been across the table from him.

"Oh well…", Jack said to himself wiping chocolate off his face and licking it off his fingers, "I wonder where Daniel and Teal'C are?"

The End.


End file.
